Meeting the Devil
by Natessimal
Summary: After Rango and his crew fall into a chasm that suddenly appears in Dirt, they find themselves in a cavern far far down, with no escape.  Unexpectedly trapped in under-earth catacombs with Rattlesnake Jake, Rango finds himself indebted to his 'brother'.


HeLLOOOOO Peoples!

So yeah, here's a Rango fic -**I love the film!-** and I hope you all enjoy it!

My fave character is Jake, so he'll probably be the prime peep in this – but all you Beans, Rango, Priscilla and Wounded Bird lovers (dunno how many there are, but oh well!), stay tuned, 'cause they'll have pretty big parts too!

_**DISCLAIMER: **_I own nothing to do with Rango – none of the characters are mine, or any of the places.

**SO**, on with all of it! I hop you enjoy it! ;-D

**- ^o^ -**

It was a normal day in Dirt since the fall of Tortoise John at the 'hands' of Rattlesnake Jake; scorching sun, no breeze, a plenty of water to go around.

Rango was sitting in the open 'porch' of the jail-house with Beans, watching the citizens of the town carrying out their daily jobs.

Beans smiled as Priscilla ran by, waving at her and the sheriff. The chameleon opened his mouth to ask something when a soft rumble sounded. Smirking, the dessert iguana glanced at the sheepish-looking Rango.

"Rango? What was that noise?" She giggled as the sheriff shrugged, saying,

"I skipped breakfast, okay?" Beans sighed amusedly.

"Were you going to ask me something?" The girl inquired after a while. Rango looked at her and replied;

"Oh yeah! I was gonna ask if you wanted anything to eat." Beans laughed at that.

"No, I'm fine-" Suddenly, a loud _'boom' _echoed through Dirt.

Beans' hazel eyes widened as she stared at Rango. The sheriff stood and, taking her hand, started to walk towards the crowd that had formed in he center of the street, saying-

"Now THAT was NOT my stomach."

Spoons beckoned the pair to the middle of the gathered townsfolk when he saw them, pointing to the space everyone stood around.

"What is it Spoo- WHOAH!" Rango exclaimed when he reached his friend's side gaping at what he indicated to;

A crack large enough for him to fall down had opened the ground, leading down to who-knows-where.

"How the heck...?" Beans whispered, squeezing Rango's hand. Waffles (who was standing next to her on the opposite side to Rango) shrugged.

"We don't know!" He said excitedly, "It just, well, it was, there!" Wounded Bird, who was standing on Spoons' other side to Rango, guessed-

"Could be from Earthquake?" The sheriff shook his head, pulling his hat on more firmly.

"No, the ground would have shaken." Stroking his chin, the chameleon thought for a moment.

After a few minutes, seemingly coming to a decision, Rango said,

"Well, get everyone away in case it-" He didn't have time to finish.

With an earsplitting _'crack' _the ground collapsed, taking the unfortunate Rango and a few Dirtonians with it.

**- O_O -**

Rango sat up with a groan, rubbing his head (with his hat miraculously still on it). He tried to open his eyes, but everywhere around him remained black.

'My eyes are already open' He thought gloomily. This was just great! Here he was with a load of townsfolk (those of which he didn't know who) trapped in a pitch-black underground cavern with no way of getting back up WHATSOEVER.

Sighing, Rango looked around, again seeing nothing but darkness.

"Hello?" He called, hoping for an answer.

"Rango?" Beans replied, sticking her head out from behind a boulder. Apart from her ruffled hair and dusty dress, she seemed unharmed.

"Beans!" The chameleon cried, waving to her thought he doubted she could see him.

"Are you okay?" He heard a little bit of scuffling, then,

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" Shrugging (even though they couldn't properly see each-other) the sheriff answered,

"as fine as I could be, which is pretty dandy if you ask me." A sigh echoed around the cavern.

"I just HAVE asked you, Rango." Silence reigned for a moment,

"Oh yeah." A giggling erupted from somewhere to Rango's left, and a young girl's voice sounded.  
>Rango's eyes got larger.<p>

"Oh no! Priscilla? Is that you? Oh I'm so sorry! Lil' sisters shouldn't be in deep caverns!"

Beans shouted from across the cavern-

"Priscilla! Are you okay? Where are you?" Rango felt something bang into him, then heard Priscilla say,  
>"I thing I've found Sheriff Rango." Pulling the little rodent onto his lap, Rango said,<p>

"And I've found Priscilla. Don't worry, Beans – she's fine" Another, more croaky voice entered the conversation.

"Rango? Is that you? And Miss Beans? Little Priscilla?" Beans answered -

"Spoons! You okay?" The sounds of rustling and then a dull _'thump' _was heard, just as Spoons replied,

"Yeah, I'm fi- OOF! And I've found Wounded Bird." A grunt followed that.

"We're both fine," Wounded Bird called;

"That's good, so are we!" Rango sighed – how many more of us were there?

"Waffles?" Beans asked,

"Who's we?" There was a quiet voice, then,

"Me and Doc." Rango nodded, though only Priscilla saw.

"Alright – are you both sure you're fine?" Doc chuckled.

"I'm a doctor, Sheriff Rango – I think I'd know if one of us WASN'T fine!" Rango thought about that for a moment.

"I guess you're right, Doc." Adding up the number of voices he'd heard, the chameleon asked,

"Right, so that's Beans, Priscilla, Spoons, Wounded Bird, Waffles, Doc and Myself. Have I missed anyone?" Beans could be heard counting quietly.

"Nope! That's as many people as there was closest to the crack in Dirt – seven. Can you see how far down we are?"

"Hmmm." Glancing upwards, Rango tried to estimate how high up the cavern opening was.

"It's no use guys. We're too far from the surface – not even Rattlesnake Jake could reach up there!" Suddenly, a dark chuckle floated from somewhere behind Rango. All heads turned to stare at the crimson red and golden eyes that glowed from the farthest wall of the cavern – the only light in the dark.

"Couldn't he?" The eyes' slitted pupils glanced at the opening far above them.

"Hm, you're probably right." The orbs suddenly lowered and started to circle the group – followed by a soft scraping noise.

"But oh well. If Jake can't get out, then you can't either, hm?" Another chuckle travelled around the cave, causing everyone to shiver subconsciously.

The eyes orbited the scattered group once before halting above Rango and Priscilla, who turned and looked up at them with their own eyes wide. That's how they stayed for a while, just looking at each other, staring into one another's eyes.

Until Rango shook himself out of his trance-like state and shouted=

"Rattlesnake Jake! What are you doing here? How did you get here? Why are you-" Jake hissed and the glowing eyes disappeared and reappeared as the snake blinked.

"Shut-up, boy – unless you wanna have the walls fall in on us!" Rango closed his mouth with an audible _'click'._

"That's what I thought." Looking around the cavern, his eyes sending a soft ray of crimson light, the rattlesnake sighed.

"Seven of you?" He shook his head, but no-one apart from Rango and Priscilla really saw.

Glancing at Priscilla, who was wrapped in Rango's arms, staring fearfully yet adoringly up at him, the Outlaw smirked.

"You dragged kids down here?" Winking in a roguishly evil manner, the snake stated,

"We're gonna have to keep our journey a bit more, _interesting,_ then; aren't we little sister?" Priscilla's eyes widened even more, and a small smile tried to tug at her lips.

"Jake." Beans called, drawing the attention of everyone in the cavern.

Swallowing, she asked,

"How did you come to be down here?" The snake thought for a moment, before answering-

"There was an earthquake, at the far side of the Dessert, and I was caught in it. There was no shelter, so I was traveling over dangerous ground.

The ground opened up then; I thought it was the devil welcoming me home again; until the ground round me started to collapse down-under. Eventually I fell into the chasm – and as I did the ground above me began to seal over again – the walls around me getting narrower and narrower – until It was cutting at my sides as I dropped.

I found the ground floor soon enough – Hit it pretty hard, had me out for about two days, I'd wager.

When I came to, I tended to my injuries as best as I could, then started to make my way through these under-earth catacombs; tryin' to find a way out. It seems I've found the way to Dirt just as your lot's dragged under, brother!" The last part was directed at Rango and the chameleon grinned nervously. Waffles, having one of his sudden bursts of enthusiasm, called out-

"So how long have you been down here, Mister Rattlesnake Jake, Sir?" The Outlaw hissed.

"Oh, I'd say about... two weeks? I can't be certain – after all, the only light here comes from my eyes – and that's far from sunlight!" Spoons snorted, seemingly forgetting who he was talking to.

"Two weeks? That'd mean that you've gone from one side of the Mojave to the other then back again in less than three! And let me tell you now, sonny, the Mojave's a big place! No-one can travel that quick!" Rattlesnake Jake's forked tongue flickered out of his mouth for a second before he spoke his mind.

"I can travel with more speed than your puny road-runners anytime – and as for the Dessert being a big place, I think I'd know – after all, traveling all over it since I was a little hunter kind of hammers into your mind how big a place the Mojave can be!" Spoons cowered back into Wounded Bird at the strength in Jake's voice, thought he had spoken relatively quietly.

Rango gulped audibly, holding Priscilla more securely.

"So... Rattlesnake Jake..." He began, averting his eyes from those of his 'brother',

"Do you, I mean, would you, if you could, be, y-know, so kind to-" Jake sighed and lowered his head so that his eyes were level with Rango's.

"If you're tryin' to ask if I could find a way out, or light for that matter, the answers no. I would if I could, brother, but these chasms seem to have only one way in and out – this one's been blocked from when you lot fell through." Priscilla looked up at the Rattlesnake (even though the only bit of him they could all see was his eyes) and asked timidly-

"Do you think you'd be able to find a way out of here, Mister Rattlesnake Jake, sir? If you had the time?" The glowing eyes flickered like red lanterns as they stared at the small cactus mouse, and the snake's voice – strangely soft – said,

"I probably could, lil' mouse. What is it you're asking? You want me to try?" Priscilla nodded, saying nervously-

"Well, I th-thought that maybe, b-because you're b-bigger and s-stronger than all of us that y-you'd be able to p-push s-some of the rocks away." A chuckle echoed around the cavern, though it wasn't as cold as the first one.

"Hm, lets see then.." Razor-sharp teeth flashed in the dim cave as the outlaw grinned, making Rango and Priscilla scoot back away from him.

**-1_1-**

"Rango?" Wounded Bird asked as the sounds of another rock falling, a thud, then a curse from Jake, floated from the far wall.

"Can you see how Rattlesnake is doing?" Instead of the chameleon's voice replying, the snake's did-

"I'm nearly through, black-bird. I should get past this wall soon enough-" A rock hit something and that something cracked, rather loudly.

"ARGH! Spirit's Devil!" Wounded Bird shook his head.

"I didn't mean THAT, Rattlesnake. And you know it. How many boulders have fallen on you?" After Jake's cursing had died down, he replied,

"None. Only rocks. Why'd you be interested, anyway? I fi-" Another thud, another crack, another curse.

"AGH! BULLSH-MMMMNNNN!"

"Okay – Jake, stop!" The snake stopped swearing, bringing it down to moans.

Rango sighed and looked in the general direction of Spoons.

"Hey, Spoons?" He asked. The questioned voice replied-

"Yes Sheriff Rango?"

"Do you have anything we could set on fire?" There was a a rustling sound as Spoons rummaged through his jacket, then-

"Yup! I have a little bit o' tinder and flint here, but I can't see properly to light 'em..." Suddenly, a red beam of light fell upon Spoons as Jake looked at him. The aged man nodded his head nervously in thanks as he struck the flint against a stone onto the tinder - succeeding in getting a few sparks.

It took a while, but A small fire finally sprang up, to the cheering of everyone in the cave (apart from Jake, who didn't open his mouth in case another curse was torn from it).

"Yes!" Rango cried, waving his hand up in the air.

"Shine it over here, Spoons!" The other did as he was asked, and Rango's face was visible to everyone else.

"I can see you all!" The chameleon exclaimed cheerfully.

"And we can all see you!" Beans shot back happily. Wounded Bird smiled and waved back at Priscilla as she waved at him, until he caught sight of the Rattlesnake;

His sides were darker than normal with dried blood, And his tail disappeared under a jagged rock that was twice the size of Rango. His evilly handsome face was marred by a gash that ran from his right eye to his bottom jaw, and a large, black bruise surrounded the same eye.

"Spoons!" The bird called,

"Shine the fire at the Rattlesnake!" Spoons did as he was told and everyone gasped at Jake when they saw him. Said snake just coughed and shrank away from the light.

"Stop shining that blasted beacon at me!" He hissed, his forked tongue flicking in and out of his mouth in annoyance.

Rango shook his head and set Priscilla down, moving a little closer to Jake.

"hat happened to you?" He whispered in shock, earning a glare from his 'brother'.

"I told you." The outlaw growled, turning back to the wall.

"I fell down here in an earthquake. End of it!" Beans rushed forward to Rango's side and put her hands on her hips.

"That can't be all from the fall, Jake." She insisted. Rattlesnake Jake just sighed and used his head to shove a boulder out of the way.

"Look – I fell into a chasm in the middle of an earthquake. That's all there is to it! Nothin' else! Now just leave me be! I'm almost through this damn wall..." Pushing another rock out of the way, Jake uncovered a small beam of light – coming from a hole in the wall. He smiled tiredly.

"There! I'm through! Now you've got the light, you can help clear the rest!"

Shrugging, Rango beckoned everyone else over – rolling his sleeves up. Turning to Beans, He said,

"You keep Priscilla occupied, Beans. She seems a little bored." With that, the sheriff led the other men to the wall and they all began to help Jake (though very nervously) shift the rocks and boulders.

Rango and Wounded Bird rolled the rock off of the Rattlesnake's tail and Jake Nodded to them, saying-

"Thanks, brother."

It took a while, a lot of muscle, and Jake's cursing, but a opening large enough for at least two Jakes was excavated from the rubble. Beans and Priscilla came to stand with the males as Jake shifted the last of the rocks -

And after the snake moved out of the way, even he gasped at the sight that was visible to them all.

_**And that's that! PHEW! **_

Thanks to all those that read, and an even BIGGER one to those that are gonna review!

I'll try to get the next chapter up a soon as, but I'm not that good for time! ;-)

Yeah, I was kind of gonna make Jake swear in this, but then I decided not to. Don't ask me why, I'm just as confused as you lot! O_O

Hopefully will write more soon!

Hunter of Valar

;-D


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